


If Only a Little Longer

by majimarkjin



Series: Hand and Glove [6]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC Extended Universe, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bruce Wayne is a Sad Idiot in Love, Canon Compliant, Clark Kent is a Self-sacrificing Idiot in Love, During Canon, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Mentions of Bruce's Parents, Mentions of Martha, Minor Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27525055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/majimarkjin/pseuds/majimarkjin
Summary: Bruce realizes that his opponent is the same person he once promised to protect with his life.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne
Series: Hand and Glove [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001775
Comments: 8
Kudos: 55





	If Only a Little Longer

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to Breakable Human, Breakable Alien.
> 
> Also, this is just pure angst because superbat.
> 
> It seems like I am on a roll for superbat, but really, I am just trying to write as much as I can before I become busy again or depressy. lol
> 
> Happy reading!

Gotham looked exceptionally dark that night as Batman stood at a rooftop, the pouring rain adding to the already gloomy tone of the city and vigilante.

It was eerily silent other than the sound of raindrops. Batman strode towards a huge projection light and pulled the huge tarpaulin that covered it, revealing the bat signal _._ Pulling the lever down, the bright light lit up the black sky. And then all he had to do was wait.

The Bat of Gotham had been waiting for a long time. He had been extremely patient, doing some reconnaissance and researching everything he could about the Man of Steel. Once he had gotten a hold of Kryptonite and after the bombing at the Senate hearing earlier, he knew he had to make a move as soon as possible. It would be the battle, not just of his life, but also of the lives of men, and the future of Earth.

Batman knew he was the last defense of men against what he saw as the alien menace and if he died while trying, _then so be it._

He was doing this for the sake of humanity, something that he thought an alien would never know even if the Kryptonian had lived among them for years.

It did not take long 'til the man—the alien—which Batman was waiting for, arrived.

“Well–” Batman started and gestured to himself. “–here I am.”

Superman strode towards him. “Bruce _._ Please. You have to listen to me. Lex wants us to–”

Batman did not bother to listen. A shield was activated out of the blue, but he saw that it did nothing to faze the Kryptonian who pulled up a manhole cover, broke it in two, and then hurled them at the shield.

“You don't understand. There's no time!” Superman snapped.

“I understand,” Batman growled.

For a moment, they stood face to face—the Man of Steel versus the Bat of Gotham.

It was Bruce who got startled at the color of Superman's eyes. _It was strikingly familiar._ He only knew one man who had similar eyes.

Superman pushed Batman in frustration, breaking Bruce from his thoughts, and automatically, turrets fired at the bulletproof alien. Superman flew and destroyed it with his heat vision.

“Stay down! If I wanted it, you'd be dead already,” Superman snarled, but was ignored.

That. That was the reason why Batman had to do this—had to kill. If someone could be inhumanely strong or move faster than the speed of light or just be what humans called, _'_ the impossible', then they were doomed. Bruce had to do this. He had to.

Batman threw a smoke bomb, but Superman zoomed through it. The Man of Steel looked around to find where Batman was and caught a second bomb, but it released a green smoke that caused him to choke.

Batman felt slightly smug about it as he watched. “Breathe it in. That's fear. You're not brave. Men are brave.”

Superman looked like he had enough and struck forward, towards Batman.

They hurled through the air, trying to inflict more than their opponent. It ended when Batman managed to release another Kryptonite gas, weakening the Kryptonian. Then, he started dragging Superman.

“I bet your parents taught you that you mean something. That you're here for a reason,” Batman said, his temper rising.

And then he added, “My parents taught me a different lesson, dying in the gutter for no reason at all.”

He threw Superman through the pillars in anger, destroying them. “They taught me the world only makes sense if you force it to.”

Batman took a green-glowing spear—a Kryptonite spear—and cut the cheek of the nigh invulnerable Kryptonian with it.

Superman was too weak to even hold up a fight. In a strained voice, he said, “You're letting him kill Martha.”

Bruce froze for a second upon hearing the name, his mind went back to the best woman he had ever known, and that made him angrier than ever before. “What does that mean? Why did you say that name?”

“Find him. Save Martha,” Superman pleaded.

Martha was Bruce's mother's name. She died along with his father, Thomas, when he was still a child— _when he was still weak._ Bruce was not weak anymore. He was Batman. And Batman was strong. He was fearless.

“Why did you say that name? Martha! Why did you say that name?” Bruce shouted. In anger or despair, he did not know.

“Bruce _,_ I–” Before Superman could finish his sentence, Lois Lane came rushing towards them.

“Clark!” Lois exclaimed upon seeing her boyfriend on the ground. “Stop! Please! Stop!”

Bruce staggered upon hearing that name.

Lois kneeled in front of Superman, shielding him from Batman and answered, “It's his mother's name! Martha is his mother's name.”

Bruce could only watch as Superman— _Clark_ —tried to sit up with Lois' help, but was still weakened by the Kryptonite spear that was too close to him.

“Luthor. He wanted your life for hers. She's losing time,” Superman said.

Bruce's breath hitched when Superman's eyes—those impossibly, unforgettable blue eyes—met his.

“The scout ship seems to be drawing power from the city. It's got to be Lex,” Lois added.

Bruce almost did not hear her. All he could think of was Clark. _His Clark._

“B...”

_Oh, god._ It was really him.

“They need you at that ship,” Batman—no, Bruce croaked, his heart pounding in his chest at the realization. “I'll find her.”

Clark's mother's name was Martha. Martha was in danger. Bruce had to save Martha.

“My mother needs me,” Clark said, but his eyes fell on Batman's chest and Bruce knew he could hear him—his heart.

“I'll make you a promise,” Batman said with conviction. “Martha won't die tonight.”

Bruce would not let Clark down again. He would not let Clark get hurt again. He would protect Clark and every important person in his life even if it meant sacrificing his own. He would die for Clark.

“Bruce–”

Bruce had to look away from the emotions in Superman's—Clark's—eyes and left before his own emotions got the best of him.

He may be too young to save his parents that night at the alley and he may be too weak to stay with Clark almost twenty years ago, but he was different than before. He was older and stronger and wiser.

He had already hurt Clark twice, which was against his promise all those years ago. It was the reason why he left in the first place, aside from wanting to protect his city—it was to protect Clark. He would never let him down ever again, and that meant saving Martha and helping him in defeating Luthor. Then, maybe—just maybe—after all of that, he could finally have a conversation with him after twenty long years—no fighting or saving anyone, just the two of them talking.

Bruce may had been sure that he was willing to die for Clark, but what he did not know was that Clark was willing to die for him too.

 _If only_ Bruce knew what would happen at the end of that night, then he would have looked into Clark's impossibly blue eyes _a little longer_ before he left.

**Author's Note:**

> I just thought it was fitting, how angst-y BvS and BHBA were and at the same time, it can be read as a stand alone if you don't want to think of it as a sequel. Lmao.
> 
> So what do you think? Should I have not connected it with the DCEU?
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading!


End file.
